Fort Troff: Supplying an Army of Kink

Feeling a little kinky? The guys over at Fort Troff know how you feel. A decade ago, the Atlanta-based company launched their website to fill the void of gay-specific kink retailers online.

These days, Fort Troff is one of the most notorious suppliers of fetish gear in the world. Their edgy, NSFW photo shoots and accompanying product demonstration videos have raised the store’s profile, and their ever-expanding product line—including a Fort Troff exclusive line, FT GRUNT, that’s launching now—keeps loyal customers coming back.

In the midst of a busy season for Fort Troff—Chicago’s International Mr. Leather starts this weekend, and the men are preparing for their appearance at the event—they discussed the origins of Fort Troff, some of their unique product lines, and how they select their models.

Can you tell me about the history of Fort Troff—when and why it was founded, changes that have taken place over the years, etc.?

Fort Troff started about 10 years ago right here in Atlanta. Knowing that there was little to no available market for gay men into kink, especially online, [CEO] General Hawk took a shot in the dark and started Fort Troff. There was very little to our store at that time. We sold some cockrings, dildos, and sling stands. Fort Troff was completely run out of Hawk’s basement…that’s how small it was.

We also ran a small monthly party here in Atlanta that quickly became a very big party. Thanks to those parties, Fort Troff as a name and brand began to grow. We’ve since then moved away from the parties, and have outgrown two different warehouse spaces and a studio. It’s almost unreal how quickly Fort Troff has grown.

Outside of its online business, is there anything else that Fort Troff does, such as appearances at events?

Since we are an online-based store, we do our best to set up shop at some of the bigger and smaller known fetish events around the country. You can find us at International Mr. Leather, Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend, Cleveland Leather Annual Weekend, Folsom Street Fair SF, Black Party, and the Las Vegas Smoke Out, just to name a few.

We recently sponsored a Hanky Code Party at Mary’s in EAV, which was amazing, and will also do some sponsorship for the Black and Blue Bound in Leather night and lube wrestling event that is taking place at the Atlanta Eagle in June. We hope this is just the beginning; we want to make a known presence here in Atlanta.

There’s a new apparel line coming soon from Fort Troff—FT GRUNT. What led Fort Troff to create its own apparel line?

We’re lucky to have the relationship that we do with some of the best manufacturers in the adult toy and apparel industry. Because of that, we’ve always had a strong hand in the creative process. We’ve been talking about putting FT GRUNT out for a while now and nobody better to collaborate with than reigning kings of jock straps, Timoteo. FT GRUNT is a great line of sporty, kinky under gear that definitely has that Fort Troff touch to it.

What does the line include?

This will be an ever-growing line of gear. As of now, we have your classic athletic jock, lace up boxer cut jock, lace up football shorts and a pair of shorts that was specifically designed to accommodate the Raw Dawg, which is a top seller in the store and in our opinion, the most innovative sex toy of 2013. We’ve also have great accessories like gauntlets and socks to really pull the GRUNT look together.

Another one of Fort Troff’s signature in-house items is FT Cum Lube. How did this product come about?

The boys here at the Fort have a serious splooge fetish. Nothing better than a hot load, so when we started getting samples of lube that looked like cum, we jumped on it. We’re not the only brand of cum lube on the market but FT CUM LUBE is a great hybrid cum lube that is toy and condom safe for the best price. And no, it doesn’t taste like cum, so don’t eat it. We get that question a lot.

What are your biggest-selling items?

We have a store of 500+ items so we’ve got you covered, whether it be cockrings to sling stands, vanilla to hardcore, Fort Troff has it all.

Some of our hottest selling items are the Raw Dawg, which is an Fort Troff exclusive. The Raw Dawg is an innovative mix of cock sheath and butt plug. You definitely have to watch the videos on our website…you won’t be disappointed. The Raw Dawg is manufactured by Perfect Fit Brand and made out of non-porous, ultra durable Siliskin (silicone/TPR mix). Over 1,500 units have sold this year so we’re very excited about this product.

Another is our FT Rock Steady Sling Stand. First off, a sling stand belongs in everybody’s home. If you need convincing, we’ve got videos on our site for that too. Our sling stand is a patented design that is sturdy and collapsible. Goes up and comes down in five minutes. You can go basic or all out with your sling stand. We’ve got amazing accessories to pimp your sling for days.

Are there any particular new products coming soon, aside from the FT GRUNT line?

There are always new items in the works but for now, our focus is on FT GRUNT and new slimmer Raw Dawg.

Fort Troff’s known for their edgy, NSFW promo photos and videos. How are your models selected?

We take a lot of pride in our photo and video shoots. We want to show you the product in the best possible way and look really good while doing it. Our shoots have come a long way from even two years ago. We’ve got a nice big studio to work out of now and models hitting us up to shoot with us. Don’t get me wrong…we are always on the lookout for hot new Fort Troff models. We love the armature guys so if any of you guys reading this think you have what it takes to be a Fort Troff model, hit us up.